In 2011, the Internet nearly revolted when Ryan Gosling lost the title of People’s Sexiest Man Alive to Bradley Cooper – a star whose French language skills beat out Gosling’s Tumblr dominance and his smoking performances in Drive, The Ides of March, and Crazy, Stupid, Love.

But things might change next year. While he took a break from the spotlight in 2012, Gosling will return to theaters in 2013 with four movies – including Only God Forgives. And as this new poster for that Nicolas Winding Refn film proves, Gosling somehow manages to be sexy even when his eye is swollen shut and half of his beautiful face has been bloodied. If this doesn’t make a statement about Gosling’s hotness quotient, nothing will. Here’s the poster:

The film, which stars Gosling as a crook who runs a boxing club in Bangkok, will be released in March.